My Mother is Now Yours to Protect
by Revellie
Summary: Does being a reincarnation of someone mean you have to have the same personality as them? Or even the same memories? What ever happen to living a new life after the old one is dead?
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi. Plot belongs to whatever crazy being that gave me this idea.**

**Chapter 1**

_"-kun, come here you silly little kit!"  
"You can't catch me kaa-chan!" _

_"-kun it is time for bed."  
"But __**yawn**__ I'm not __**yawn**__ sleepy." _

_"Goodnight my little kitsune."_

* * *

Naruto jumped up from his bed after feeling something touch his forehead. Panicky he looked around his messy apartment for the source, only to come up with nothing. Naruto sigh and fell back on his bed and looked up to the ceiling. Lately he had been having dreams of a woman who was radiating a calm feel to her and she would call him by a name he could not hear or call him a fox.

_"This getting weirder and weirder every time I see those dreams,"_ he thought_, "are those memories or dreams? They are for sure not mine because no one has cared for me that way and the first one to care was Iruka-sensi, not a woman." _

Naruto turned towards his window and saw that the sun was barely coming up. He sighed and decided to get ready any way and head towards the training grounds to train for any upcoming missions. He finally got Sasuke back, but it was not the same. Sasuke was more easily to anger and was totally different. He just very recently started to act the way he use to before going to Orochimaru. It is probably thanks to Sakura for the attitude change because she has been the only one that Sasuke actually let near him when he came back.

Naruto just sighed again.

He just had to go and remind himself of that failure. He could do the most impossible missions, probably defeat the Akatsuki (if he trains hard enough), but he can't get the girl he wants. How depressing.

"Naruto! Naruto!"

Naruto stopped his exercises to look at Sakura and Sasuke coming his way. Being sixteen had its advantages. For one he is now tall enough to look down girls shirts, if he felt like it, and another is that he was now the same height as Sasuke and taller than Sakura.

"What's up Sakura-chan?"

"Tsunade-hime-sama is calling for you. She said that she has a mission for you that is interesting!"

"Oh really so baa-chan is finally giving me what I deserve?"

"Pssht, what you deserve dobe is to learn how to fight." Sasuke remarked.

"What was that Sasuke-teme? I can beat you right here, right now!" yelled Naruto read to fight his friend and rival. Just because he was a little different, and they were separated for 3 years, did nothing to their friendship or how they interacted with each other. Before there could be a fight Kakashi appeared in between Sasuke and Naruto. He turned to Naruto and said,

"Naruto, if you do not want Tsunade-sama to reconsider her choice I suggest that you head to the Hokage Tower now."

"Fine but when I come back Sasuke you are going down!"

"Keep dreaming dobe."

Naruto glare at Sasuke before jumping to the Hokage Tower.

"So Kakashi-sensi, _why_ are you here?" asked Sakura.

Kakashi just looked at Sakura and turned to Sasuke. He then turned to where Naruto took off and stayed that way. Before Sakura could ask what was going on or going to give up Kakashi answered.

"Naruto's mission is important and I wanted for him to go as soon as possible to complete it."

"What is so important about this one mission that has you acting like this?" asked suspiciously Sasuke.

Looking to Sasuke, Kakashi answered in two words, while turning around, before leaving two shinobi shocked, "My daughter."

* * *

Once Naruto got to the Hokage Tower he went to Tsunade's office. He barged in and screamed,

"Baa-chan what is my mission?"

A bottle of sake came straight to his face and hit him straight on. Tsunade and repeatedly told him not to call her that and after so many years of it he still didn't stop. So she resorted to hurting him.

"I will not repeat myself Naruto."

"Yeah, yeah so you say," this earned him a fist to his head, "Ow! Will you stop that? So what is my mission?"

"I will stop when you do. As for your mission you have to head towards the Sand village and on the way you will meet Gaara and another Shinobi."

"Eh! What is Gaara ganna be there for? Doesn't he have Kazekage duties to deal with?"

"Yes he does but by some crazy stroke of luck either he does a better job of paper work than me or does a better job of ignoring it and somehow keep the Sand Village in order. Besides in the message that Temari sent me she said that he does not trust any other shinobi but you and himself for the protection of this other shinobi."

"Wow than they must be really important!" Naruto said jumping up and down.

_'You have no idea. She was the one who help me get over committing suicide.'_ thought Tsunade, "So are you ready to go?"

"Yes!"


	2. The Shinobi

Chapter 2

An afternoon breeze moved the leaves on the trees. Animals could be heard doing what their ancestors before them did. This one forest was what separated the Fire Country from the Wind Country, and in it were two shinobi who did not seem in a hurry. One shinobi had his arms wrapped around the other.

"Gaara-kun, you know I can walk on my own without you holding me right?" asked the kunoichi nonchalantly.

"Hn."

"Still not talking? You always do that when you hold me."

Gaara just hugged her more tightly and nuzzled his head into the kunoichi's hair. As they continued to walk the onyx-hair kunoichi finally got tired of have to hunch over from the weight on her back that Gaara was putting on her. So she stopped her slow walking pace and asked him,

"Why are you hugging me now anyways? You never did in your village."

Gaara with his face still in her hair replied, "People were watching. Now I have you all to myself before Naruto meets up with us."

"Well where we are supposed to meet is like half a day away if we were to go running and two days tops walking. So, can you give my back a rest and not hug me like this? You...can...hold on to my hand!" was her witty come-back. Gaara pretended to think it over and just sat down where they were with her in his lap and his face still in her hair. The kunoichi sighed and just gave up.

"See I knew you would see it my way, _Kagome-chan._" Gaara huskily whispered.

"I was not even aware that you wanted me to see anything your way. We are suppose to go that way," Kagome pointed ahead of them, "to go to the Fire Country to meet up with Naruto, as you call him, and you just want to delay it. What is the hold up?"

"You want to get rid of me that soon Kagome-chan? That really hurts you know." mocked Gaara.

"No, I don't, but will you mind telling me why ever since I came to your village and met you, you have wanted to hold me and smell my neck all the time!"

Gaara shrugged and said, "You smell nice and I feel calm around you."

"Well that is the closest thing of an '_I like you_' that I am going to get out of you." mumbled Kagome. She turned around on his lap so she was strattling him and continued, "So if you say that, that must mean my little raccoon-doggy does like me." Kagome finished with a smile.

Gaara just gave a glare, showing how much he _loved _that name. He positioned himself so that his back leaned back into a near by tree and looked up through the branches of the trees to see the sky. Kagome also decide to relax and laid her head on his chest and put her hand on his shoulder. Kagome could sense the lingering yoki of a demon in him the first time she met him. Kagome found out why after befriending him a few days later when he picked up his fetish over her scent. She was shocked that the decedents of the same people who were trying to kill off all demons were trying to harvest the demons power. If there was ever irony this would be it. Kagome sighed and shooked her head to get rid of the train of thought it was heading towards. Looking up to Gaara with her head still on his chest she asked,

"So are we going to stay here and make your friend wait or are we going to run until the sun sets?"

"We will go. If I know Naruto he would get mad because he knows that I wasted time on purpose," was Gaara's reluctant answer.

"Oh, really now, can you tell me how he would know?" asked Kagome as they got up.

"Remember when I told you about how there use to be a one-tailed Shukaku in me?" at Kagome's nod he continued, "Well the Akatsuki were the ones to get it out and were going to leave me for my death, but Naruto and his friends came to my village within 7 to 8 hours at the exact moment he heard I was kidnapped and made it in time to save me. When I came to I saw Naruto and he was scolding me on how I should rely on others when I am in trouble."

"Let me guess, he was the last one to be informed because he would have come straight to the Sand Village and the Akatsuki so he could get you without planning it out?" Kagome asked with humor in her voice.

"Heh, you know him already and all I have said about him was that he would get impatient."

"Well what can I say? I know them when I see them." she said with a shrug.

"So you want to know the rest or not?" Gaara asked while running/jumping away.

"Hey that is not fair! I wanna hear the rest, so wait up!" with that Kagome went after Gaara as he continued on about the boy who saved him from death, and himself.


	3. The Sad Dream

Chapter 3

_A shooting star was seen in the clear night sky as two individuals watched. They were lying down on their backs with their heads next to one another. The girl sighed and enjoyed her alone time with her kit. Sooner or later her hanyou companion would come and get them so it was better to just enjoy the moment._

_The kit next to her sighed as well. He did not get enough alone time with her. Sure he would get piggy back rides on her shoulders but their companions were next to them. These were the precious moments for him so he decided to talk to his mother about things that had been bugging him lately._

"_Kaa-san?"_

"_Yes -kun?"_

"_What will happen after the jewel is complete? Are you going to stay with me? Am I going to go with you? Will it take you away from me? Are we going to make a wish on it? Is it going to go away if you do?" his mother put a mouth over his mouth while sitting up to look at him. She then picked him up and put him in her lap._

"_I am not sure what will happen -kun, all that I hope for is that I get to be with you now that I am on my own." She told him in a sad tone. The kit knew of what happened to her other family and decided to change the subject. As he looked around him trying to think of a different subject he caught sight of a budding rose quickly growing near them. He looked up at her face and asked another question._

"_Do you think we are going to fight Naraku tomorrow?" he asked his mother._

"_If we do I want you to be near me at all times." With a smile she said, "You can watch my back, but if things start get to out of control I want you to run and not to look back," She raised her hand to stop her kit from objecting, "No -kun you have to promise me that you will do this, please, I do not know how I will handle losing you also." He sat quietly for awhile and then told her with his eyes starting to water._

"_I will try mama, but if you are in trouble I will not leave you. If _sniff_ you _sniff_ d…di…don't come back to me I promise to always remember you." From there he started to cry silently. His kaa-san tightens her arms around him to comfort him. She then quietly told him,_

"_I promise I won't leave you. I am going to stay alive just for you okay? Besides if I don't how I am going to watch and help you grow up, find a mate, and have all those adorable grandchildren of mine?" He started to smile and hugged her around her neck. He nuzzled his head between her head and shoulder and said,_

_"I also promise to stay alive so I can have a younger brother or sister. It is a promise." With that said he started to sleep._

_"I hope I can keep that promise -kun, I hope so."_

_

* * *

_

_A tentacle was shot out towards him. He was frozen with fear, he could not move and all he could think about was how he did not listen to his mother and now he was going to pay the price. Just as it was three feet away from him, he closed his eyes._

_*Drip* _

_*Drip*_

_He opened his eyes and later wished that he did not. There before him was his mother pinned through her stomach with __**her **__**blood**__ dripping from __**her body**__. The tentacle was removed and he found that it was the tentacle that was holding back all the blood. As she fell to her knees the blood came pouring out of her body. It spilled everywhere, it even land on him. He looked at himself not wanting to believe that the __**blood**__ on him, the __**blood**__ on the floor, the __**blood**__ coming from __**his mother**__, it was all __**hers**__. _

"_No."_

"_- run. *_cough*_ Run and don't look back. *_cough*_ You promised remember." She said while trying to get up. When she finally got up she turned around to face her enemy. She notched her arrow and pulled the string back._

"_RUN!" She yelled to her kit._

_The kit looked at his mother and saw why she told him to run the night before and now. She was glowing pink. She was summing up all her miko power. If her arrow hit a any target it would send out an explosion and purify everything within a 20 mile radius. With that realization he took off running. To him it was a cowardly thing to do, but his mother did not want for him to be purified by her so he had no choice. _

_As he kept on running the explosion of purification was starting to get near him. He was a demon so his instincts started to kick in and got him go move faster. He started to run faster than he had ever gone in his life. Once he got to a safe distance the shock wave stopped as well. He turned around to see when it was safe to go back and saw a barrier. His mother had taken an extra step to make sure she did not get him. His eyes started to water._

'_No mama. That was why you wanted to be alone with me last night.' He broke down crying, 'You knew, you knew.'_

"_Why! Why didn't you tell me?" He screamed and began to hit the barrier not caring that his hands were getting burned, "You said you were going to stay alive for me! You said that you wanted to be with me! If that is true why did you do this?" He stop with his fists still on the barrier and slid to the floor. He put his face on it and continued to cry. The barrier gave way and he could no longer feel his enemy or his mama. He whispered softly, "You are my mama you are suppose to stay alive with me, watch me grow up, help me find someone for me, watch me have kids. You are supposed to stay to help and watch me grow up."_


	4. The Changes

Chapter 4

_"You were supposed to help and watch me grow up."_

Naruto began to shed tears from where he slept.

_A kit was running into a clearing. When he made it to the clearing he saw something no children of any kind should ever see. There he in the clearing, he saw demons tearing his mother's body._

Naruto began whimpering and trembling.

_'I need to get her.' He, however, could do nothing while the demons continued violating his mother's body just to have bragging rights of eating the flesh of a miko. It repulsed him to no end and he was prepared to go in without caring if they caught him or not, as long as he got her body away from them he wouldn't care. Just when he was going to run in he saw something pink shine in the sunlight a few feet away from the demons. _

'_That is the Shikon Jewel!' he mentally screamed, 'I can wish for my mama to be alive again!' The kit changed his position and went straight for the complete Jewel, never seeing the ogre demon coming at him._

* * *

"I need to get it. I need to get it." Naruto whimpered. Sasuke looked at him ad got up to see what was bothering him. This mission was originally meant for Naruto alone but Tsunade said someone else needed to go as his backup. Of course that was her cover for saying she was afraid that the Akatsuki might come after Naruto again. So Sasuke was sent with Naruto on Tsunade's order. It had nothing to do with Sasuke wanting to make sure that Naruto was safe from the Akatsuki. Nope, he just came as a backup that is all.

Um…back to the matter at hand.

What Sasuke was worried about was that Naruto was talking in his sleep and what he was saying. In all the years that he had a mission with Naruto, not once did Naruto talk in his sleep. He would drool, yes, but talking, no. Add that he was whimpering about needing to get something and trembling. It had to mean something bad.

* * *

_The ogre demon he had ignored earlier had stabbed him straight through his stomach. At that very moment he scolded himself for not following what he was taught and should have been more aware. At least he had in his hand the Jewel._

_"Give it to me." The discolored ogre said._

_'No, I need to wish on it.' The kit thought. Quickly before the ogre could do anything else he screamed to the Jewel, "I wish I can be with my mama! I wish I was stronger to protect my mama. I wish she had everyone special to her alive and with her! I wish we can protect ourselves so mama wouldn't need to worry about us!" _

_'__So be it.__' Within moments of hearing that voice all that the kit saw was the darkness._

* * *

Naruto had stopped whimpering and squirming, red chakra began to leak out of him and slowly circle around his body. Sasuke jumped from where he previously rested and activated his Sharingan to see what was going on with Naruto. The last time Naruto was covered in that color of chakra the kyuubi had been taking over. Sasuke prepared to stop whatever was going on when he saw Naruto's blue chakra get released.

* * *

_A kyuubi was seen in its smaller form, wondering around its territory when a human stood in his path. This human was making kyuubi's instincts going haywire. His eyes were the color of the silver dog, gold as the sun, but this man's were of evil and skin just as pale as snake's underbelly. The man licked his lips with an abnormally long tongue before he said,_

_"What is the matter kit? Have you not yet found your mother?" he said, making the kyuubi angry for being called a kit, "Don't tell me you don't remember her? What happen to your promise of never forgetting her? Or that you were going to be together?"_

_Kyuubi was hissing and growling. It did not know why what the _human_ said angered him, but it did. Then the human started to do hand signs and started to chant. The kyuubi knew that the humans could do attacks consisting with hands signs that could kill him, so he dashed to kill him before the human finished. When kyuubi got close enough he leaped up and was going for the human's neck when he was stopped in mid-air. _

_"Now, now, what would your mother think if she saw her kit attacking first? I bet she would be ashamed on her poor raising skills." Kyuubi just hiss and growl at him, getting more pissed with every word that came out of his mouth._

_"Wait let me guess, you really don't remember do you?" hisses and growls were his answer, "Well I will just have to fix that won't I?" _

_As soon as it was said he did a hand sign in front of kyuubi and said, "Release, memories arise!" Kyuubi felt the man's chakra go into his mind and unclasped a seal that was never to be opened till a certain person found him. Memories of his mother came crashing down in front of him, the way she was killed and the way her body was ripped to shreds._

_The man-monster was waiting for something and, with the same hand sign, yelled, "Replay!" The kyuubi relived his mother's death and violation of her body over and over again and he became angry. He was slowly losing himself to bloodlust when he realized that he had broken his promise to her to never forget her. Then soon all thoughts were lost except the need for blood. _

_So lost in his bloodlust that he did not recognize at what point of time the man let him free of his prison. Nor did he recognize the village of his friend's bloodline. It was not till the leader of that village had finished his jutsu that kyuubi realized what happened, but it was too late._

* * *

'_What the hell is going on?'_ Sasuke thought.

Naruto and the kyuubi's chakra had started to twist around each other and it was shaping itself as a kitsune around Naruto, and as both chakras twisted together they changed to a purple color. Naruto began to whimper and cry as his face began to stretch into a snout, his nails growing to claws, his body dislocating itself and reforming into a leaner, smaller one, while nine tails, covered in red fur, spurted out from his tail bone.

'_Shit, what the hell? The nine-tails is taking over!' _Sasuke began to panic.

Not willing to see his friend taken over by a demon, Sasuke decided to stop the red and purple chakras. When he tried though, the purple chakra just retaliated and shot Sasuke in his chest, sending him flying to the nearest tree. When he hit the tree, he hit the base of his skull and was barely fighting off unconscious. Now all he could do was watch the changes that Naruto was going through.

All the changes that were happening were located where the purple chakra was at. So when both the red and blue chakra's combined, Naruto had been covered from the tip of his nose till his tails in red fur. He looked exactly like kyuubi only at the same size as Akamaru fully grown. After the transformation was complete Naruto finally seem to awake from whatever trance he was in and looked with striking teal eyes at Sasuke.

'_Is that Naruto… or is it something else?_' Was all the Sasuke thought before darkness over took him.


	5. The Conversation

Chapter 5

Kagome looked to the black sky as she lay next to Gaara on their bedding. It seemed that though Gaara was out like a rock, she took his insomnia for tonight. Kagome sighed as she rolled over to look at her companion's face.

'He looks so adorable when knocked out!' Kagome thought. 'Who would have thought I liked red-heads.'

Kagome tried to keep her snort in at her own joke. Her life with Gaara isn't the perfect romantic life one would expect but it was better than the one before. Her eyes became pained as she began to think of the past. Being the Shikon's guardian had its luck of being able to remember a previous life this time around. Apparently someone upstairs has gotten frustrated with the Shikon being in constant danger because the guardian could not remember its significance.

Kagome remembered her friends, Naraku, and most especially little Shippo. She remembered how she died and how she saved her kit. Tears slid from her eyes as she recalled the promise she made to him the night before the battle. What kind of mother figure was she to break her promise like that?

Just as she was about to break into sobs she felt something. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat.

'It can't be..'

Quickly she got up and shook Gaara awake.

"Gaara! Gaara! Wake up! We have to move!" Once she saw his eyes open she left him and started to clean their camp up.

"What is going on Kagome?" Gaara watched in confusion as she ran all over the place. Seeing her hurry he got up and helped her.

"You don't feel that chakra?"

Gaara paused what he was doing and stretched his senses. There at the very edge of his range he could feel the chakra of something powerful and similar to the one that appeared when he fought along Naruto.

"Shit!"

With that no other questions were asked as everything was packed and both headed in the direction that the chakra was coming from.

* * *

Naruto shook in his sandals as he looked to where there was once use to be bars at the Kyuubi's prison. What he saw was a gaping hole with the bars bended and skewed as if a demon broke through.

"Which is the truth really when you think about it, a demon did break through."

Naruto held in his scream and he turned quickly to look into forest green eyes. Attached to those eyes was a face of a man in his early 20's. Thick bushy orange red hair bound in a low pony tail atop of his head while a green yukata adorned his body. Thinking quickly, Naruto made the decision that this had to be the Kyuubi because no one but Kyuubi and he could be in here.

"How did you take the shape of a human?" Naruto was glad his voice did not crack with the fear he felt. "How did you get out of your prison?"

The Kyuubi narrowed his eyes and stared at him. He began to walk around Naruto as if he were prey.

"Well it's good to know you know who I am without seeing my true form. Kudos to you my walking **prison**," Kyuubi said with poison in his words. "While I would like to know myself what happened I would guess that it would have to do with the memories we have been sharing."

Kyuubi stopped in front of Naruto and held a relaxed stance waiting for Naruto's curious nature to emerge. As the Kyuubi predicted Naruto took the bait.

"So I wasn't the only one seeing things, huh?" Naruto folded his arms, "Want to explain why I was seeing your memories?"

Kyuubi snorted. "The one with the man was my memory but those with the kit were not mine."

"What are you talking about? How can they not be yours? Who else's would they be?" Naruto was about to blow a fuse. First he is having a somewhat civil conversation with the stupid fox, the same stupid fox that killed a lot of people, the same stupid fox who tried to kill _him_, the same person that is holding him; then, oooh ho ho, then the stupid fox tells him that what he is seeing is not coming from him.

"Has it occurred to you that they could be yours?" Naruto looked as if he was going to start cussing before he was interrupted by Kyuubi. "I have been here for a long time and with nothing to do but watch your idiotic antics and think; I have come to some conclusions that do agree with what I said."

"Wanna tell them to me before I have to start kicking your ass back into that cage?" Naruto threatened as he got into a fighting stance.

Smiling in a way that showed off his fangs Kyuubi said, "You could try but even though this is _your_ body, it is because of _my_ will that I let _you_ control it. Why not call it a truce? One of my conclusions is that we were fated to be in the same body so why not share it instead of fight over it, huh?"

That pissed Naruto off some more.

"What do you mean share it? It is my freaking body! I am just letting you reside in it!"

"Do you remember what happen to Gaara?"

That cooled Naruto's anger fast. 'That's right, even if one of us tried to out the other we will die without the other.'

"Had an epiphany have you? Good because I tire with you foolishness."

"You should really get that icicle out of your ass Sesshomaru, it cannot be good for your health," Naruto said nonchalantly as he got out of his fighting stance.

"This is another reason I believe they are your memories and not mine."

Naruto's eyes grew wide as he realized his error. 'What the hell is going on?' He then proceeded to faint as Kyuubi took note of his face and began to laugh.


	6. The Face to Face

Chapter 6

"So what do you say to this new development? Should we still take him?" A dark voice whispered into the night.

Golden eyes flashed with interest as they stared at their prey down below. The scene before them unveiled that their intended target had changed from a blonde teen to a fox. They watched as its companion was knocked unconscious. One eye turned red as another voice answered.

"It would be best to leave and inform Leader about this. He told us to come get Naruto but he never said anything about bringing a five tailed fox instead." As if it heard what he said, teal eyes looked from the body of Sasuke Uchiha to the mass hidden up above it in the shadow of the trees.

"Well look at that, he found us!"

"Shut up! Move before we get attacked."

"Aw! Don't you want to see its strength? I bet Leader will be glad to know this lil foxy's abilities!"

A huff was his reply.

"Fine let's go….spoil sport."

"Immature idiot."

With that the mass moved towards the trunk of the tree and seemingly melted into it. As it did they heard a warning growl come from the fox. This made a smirk appear on the mass' face.

"Don't worry lil foxy, I will be back for you!"

* * *

As Kagome and Gaara got closer to where they felt the chakra coming from they went into stealth mode. Gaara uncorked his gourd and his sand began to form his armor of sand. Just because the One-Tailed beast was not in him any longer did not mean he could not do the same attacks.

Kagome whipped out her scrolls and quickly wrapped them over her sleeveless leather jacket and her arms. She put her right hand over a symbol near her left wrist and pushed chakra into. Soundlessly a short bow appeared along with an arrow. She grabbed the arrow with her right hand and the arrow with her left and nocked it. She jumped into the trees as Gaara continued on the ground and covered him.

Both of them began to hear a growling coming from ahead of them. As they got closer they started to slow down and hid behind the tree trunks surrounding the clearing the growling was coming from. Spindrift eyes looked up to the branches and met with dark blue eyes. Kagome and Gaara nodded to each other and cautiously peered from their spots to take in the view before them. Gaara quickly recognized Sasuke and a smaller version of the Kyuubi.

'Wait….it has five tails, what the hell?' Gaara thought as he moved his body from his hiding spot and got closer.

* * *

Kagome watched as the fox moved its eyes from the trees to Gaara. She tightened her hold on her weapon as she took aim at the fox. 'Please don't do something stupid, I don't want to hurt you,' Kagome silently pleaded.

* * *

Gaara and the fox stared into each other's eyes. When Gaara broke away from the tree line and entered the mini-clearing the fox stood on all four limbs and held his head up high. Neither willing to admit defeat and look away.

Without taking his eyes from the fox, Gaara spread his arms out slowly to show the fox he had no weapons on him and hopefully give the fox a sense of security. He decided to move in Sasuke's body so that he could be between the fox and Sasuke. The fox had other plans.

The closer Gaara got to Sasuke, the more threatening the growls got and the fiercer the fox looked.

"Gaara talk to it, maybe it will understand you," Kagome whispered from up above.

Dear god, if he didn't love that woman. Gaara resisted rolling his eyes at his woman's foolishness.

"Just cause I can't see you don't mean I know what you are thinking you jerk!" Kagome hissed, "Trust me and talk to it or so help me I will shoot you in the ass!"

'But I thought you loved my ass,' Gaara thought. Out loud he called to the fox, "I know you are the Kyuubi, what I want to know is where Naruto is. Have you finally overpowered his mind?"

The fox stopped growling and seemed to contemplate what he said. His fur smoothed out as his ears and tail began to relax.

"Think I'm crazy, stupid males never listen."

Gaara's under eye lid ticked up and down after hearing that statement.

The fox looked to where Kagome was hidden and Gaara became tense. 'Yes give away your position why don't you. Mock me while you're at it. There is no fearsome predator here, just a nice fox with powers unimagined and sharp fangs and claws.'

Sometimes Gaara felt like strangling that woman to save the trouble for their enemies.

"I asked you a question you idiotic fox!"

That got his attention. Once dull teal eyes gleamed with offense and looked greener. Gaara was glad to have its attention on him once more.

"I know you are Kazekage and many lives depend on you….for now….but that still does not give you the right to be offending those that are stronger than you."

If Gaara was not emotionally constipated for most of his life, his jaw would be on the floor.

Gathering his composure he spoke to the fox. "Since you can speak and are not attacking, tell me, what has happened to Naruto."

The Kyuubi sat on his haunches. "That brat is out of commission right now. Would you like to leave a message? I _might_ give it to him."

Lowering his arms and getting into a relaxed stance he regarded the kyuubi, "How is it that you are out and still alive? Shouldn't you both be dead since Naruto's body can't handle your chakra?"

Kyuubi sighed.

"Such a nosily brat ain't ya?" Swishing his tails back and forth he made a point for all five of his tails to be viewable. "As you can see there are five tails instead of my glorious nine. The little pipsqueak is actually powerful enough to handle them. It will be awhile yet before he can handle all nine though."

"You are going to merge with him."

Kyuubi looked to the trees where Kagome was. Lifting his lip to show a fang he growled, "Insightfully beauty and a nosy brat, I think you two will have ghastly children."

A blush appeared on both Gaara's and Kagome's face. Kagome jumped down from her perch and landed next to Gaara. Once she regained her balance she nocked her arrow again and aimed at Kyuubi.

"Hm, afraid of the big bad fox are we? I would not dare to maim you, it would be…."Kyuubi looked her up and down, "such a waste."

Gaara narrowed his eyes on the fox. There was no way in hell an animal was hitting on his Kagome!

With a brighter blush on her face Kagome replied, "No, not afraid, just cautious. You can never know with foxes you know. They are known to be tricksters."

Kyuubi stood up on his paws. "Are you implying I'm tricking you into a false sense of security?"

Kagome pulled tighter on her bow, "No just that like any other wild animal, just cause it is docile one moment does not mean it will be in the another."

With that Kyuubi lunged at Kagome and she let loose her arrow.


	7. The Fight

Chapter 7

Sasuke began to stir from his forced slumber.

He groaned softly as he slowly moved his aching body into a sitting position and leaned on the tree that knocked him out. When the world finally decided to stop going in different directions and he could open his eyes without hurling, he could not believe what he was seeing.

Right before his very eyes he was watching the Kyuubi and a girl he had never seen before fighting with as much killing intent as when Naruto and Gaara fought for the first time.

The Kyuubi was right on top of the girl and was being held off by her bow in his mouth. While the bow kept the Kyuubi's mouth from ripping her throat out, it did nothing to keep his claws from slashing at her arms. The Kyuubi's muzzle was inches from her face and she seemed to be struggling to push him back. The girl tried to kick the fox off but he moved to that his hind claws were digging into her thighs and unless she wanted to risk any muscle damage she could not move her legs.

A crushing of metal was heard and Sasuke knew that both opponents were aware that her bow would not last. They both seem to catch a second wind as the fox started to gnaw at the metal bow harder as his claws sunk into the girl's body and the girl tried to put more distance between their faces and started to buck to get the fox off of her.

Sasuke moved his hand to reach his kunai pocket to get his weapons and get ready to throw them when Gaara stepped in front of him.

"Why are you not helping her?" Sasuke rasped out.

Gaara merely tilted his head towards him and replied, "And who was going to watch over your sorry excuse of a body?" Sasuke growled, "Besides, Kagome is up to something and if I were to interfere her pain would be in vain."

A yowl was heard and both their attentions were drawn to the fight and saw that Kagome had ripped a chunk of fur from the Kyuubi's shoulder and kicked him on the side to get him off of her. Though they missed the actual kick they knew what happened due to the wound on the Kyuubi's side and the bloodied, hidden knife in Kagome's sandal.

Kyuubi snarled, "Sneaky bitch!"

To which Kagome only replied with, "I'm a ninja."

Kagome dropped her useless bow and placed her hand on a seal and a small puff of smoke appeared to reveal a short katana.

"Small weapons for a small girl, how fitting."

Kagome narrowed her eyes and charged at the fox. Kyuubi raced towards her and prepared to dodge the katana and then aim at her legs until she did something unexpected. Instead of trying to aim directly at him she ran and adjusted her body to move at a slightly altered angle.

As they passed each other, the Kyuubi felt pain at his side. He stopped running and turn his head to his right and saw that he had a cut from his shoulder to his hip.

"What the fuck did you do? You did not even touch me!"

The Kyuubi turned incredulous eyes towards Kagome and saw at the tip of her short katana chakra glowing, making the extension of the blade longer.

Kagome merely raised her katana and waited for his move.

The Kyuubi had had enough. He charged at her once more and this time he used his tails. He had one tail grab the katana and fling it out of her grasp and the others hold her arms and legs. He then opened his mouth and aimed for her throat.

However, Kagome was having none of that. Just as the Kyuubi's muzzle was inches from her neck she leaned her head back, and with chakra added, she brought her chin down and her chest up to force the Kyuubi's mouth shut.

The loud clack noise that the fox's mouth made made even Sasuke and Gaara cringe.

Kyuubi let go of Kagome and whined and rolled on the ground with his front paws holding his muzzle.

Kagome took advantage of this and quickly set up her plan. She swiftly started running around and putting her hands over the seals on the scrolls and dropping the objects needed.

Kyuubi shook off his pain and saw Kagome running near him. He whipped a tail at her and made her trip and fall. He then tried to get on top of her and claw her to death. Yet, Kagome was quicker.

She jumped from the ground and bounced off a tree as she placed her hands over the scrolls on her body. With a small puff of smoke kunai and shuriken appeared in her hands and once she was above the Kyuubi she threw them at him. She was quickly tiring out and running out of chakra. If she didn't get her chance soon she would not have another.

The Kyuubi watched as the pathetic kunai and shuriken were thrown at him. With quick flicks of his tails he deterred them from their intended target.

Kagome landed behind him and seemed to bend forward with exhaustion. She put her hand on the last symbol on her scroll and another short katana appeared. She held on to the handle with both hands and seemed as if she could not stop shaking.

The Kyuubi turned around and took in her weakened stance and could not help but laugh.

"This is getting pitiable girl! Have you run out of ideas or simply you are out of chakra?" His eyes glittered with malice as he charged at her.

'Yes!'

Kagome dropped her katana and did quick hand seals. Just as the Kyuubi was an arm's length away from her she yelled, "Body freeze!"

The Kyuubi widened his eyes and froze for a bit before his momentum made him fall to the ground. He saw was looked to be stakes set in curved positions. Then it became clear to him. Meanwhile he was trying to recover from his injury she was setting up a trap!

Kagome quickly stood over the fox and created different hand seals and mumbled a chant. The stakes glowed light green and shot a beam to the center of the circle where Kyuubi and Kagome were. The Kyuubi began to glow the same light green and got brighter with each hand seal Kagome made.

Sasuke and Gaara had to close their eyes and look away from the spectacle.

When the light faded both males turned back and with the rising sun saw Naruto and Kagome lying next to one another.

* * *

"Come back here you fucking bitch! I will show you what it means to anger me!"

Kagome ran down the corridor away from the angry fox.

"Where is the boy?" She yelled back even though she kept running and on occasion look into the rooms to see if she could find Naruto.

"Like I would fucking tell you. Both you and the stupid brat are nothing but a pain in the ass! I should mutilate both of you and bathe in your blood!" The Kyuubi caught up to her as she was coming out of a room and barely missed swiping a paw at her. Though he was smaller in the real world, in here he could scarcely fit and had to crouch down to go through the hall ways. This was the only reason he could not kill the fucking pest!

Kagome sped up as that was too close and she had to find Naruto before she used what little chakra she had. Then something caught her attention. It was another chakra source.

It was not Naruto's or the Kyuubi's and it seemed as if the more she followed it the stronger she felt.

'This reminds me of those video games where you recover hp as your character absorbs those green orbs.' Kagome thought as she ran where her senses told her to go.

Then she turned a corner and the chakra went into a closed door. Across the door was a wooden plank sealing it from being opened.

'This is a sad excuse of a way to block a door.'

Kagome quickly broke the plank and opened the door. The minute she opened the door Kyuubi came from around the corner.

"Don't go in there!"

"Oh, found Naruto!"

The Kyuubi ran straight into the open door with his snout the only thing able to make it through.

"Ha! That what you get you oversized canine!"

Kagome yelped as she threw her body farther into the room as a paw reached in and just about missed her. "Note to self, never taunt anything, big or small."

Kagome kept her eye on the paw trying to grab her and searching the room for Naruto. She spotted him the in the farthest corner of the room and slowly made her way over there.

"Don't go near him wench!"

Once the words were out of his mouth Kyuubi felt regret and disgust at himself. Kagome paused for just a moment but ignored the fox and continued to where Naruto laid.

Kyuubi settled down at the door and did not make another noise. He didn't want to feel like that again.

* * *

Kagome visually checked Naruto for injuries and when she didn't see any she got on her knees next to him. She shook his shoulders to see if he would wake up.

"Hey Naruto, nap time is over."

Naruto rolled on to his stomach and moaned, "Five more minutes."

Kagome shook him harder. "Up, up lazy bum."

Naruto slapped her hands off of him and nuzzled his face into the ground.

Kagome stood up and sighed.

"You brought this upon yourself."

She sat on Naurto's lower back, grabbed his left leg and pulled it back towards his head.

"Aaaaaaaaahhh! Uncle! Uncle! For the love of kami, Uncle!" Naruto was struggling about trying to get out of Kagome's grasp. "Ready to get up now?"

"Yes!"

Kagome released him and got off of Naruto.

Naruto quickly sat on his behind and started to rub on his leg.

"Oh hush, you're a ninja and ninjas are supposed to be flexible for any occasion."

"Kami, I may be a ninja but that don't mean I'm physically flexible." Naruto blinked and looked up at Kagome. "How are you here? Who are you?" Naruto then took in the sight of Kyuubi lying on the other side of the doorway. "What the hell is going on?"

Kagome took a breath and said, "It a jutsu I know and fox boy over there was in control while you were having nap time. Now are you ready to reclaim your body or just chill in here for the rest of your life?"

Naruto got up and narrowed his eyes at the Kyuubi. "He had a human form before I…." No way was he going to tell her he fainted like some chick, which would just be embarrassing, "was knocked out. Why is he back to normal?"

"I used a majority of my chakra to keep what did with your body from damaging you and fighting her at the same time." Kyuubi back out of the door way to let them pass and started back crawl to his "jail cell".

"Hey! Where are you going?" Naruto yelled at him.

Kyuubi paused and looked at him as if he was stupid…which was still debatable in his mind.

"Do you want control of your body or not?"

"Duh! Of course I do!"

"Then shut up and deal with that woman." With that Kyuubi turned the corner and left Naruto and Kagome alone. There was an awkward silence as they both looked anywhere but at each other when something caught Naruto's eye. On her wrist was a bracelet that had the Hidden in the Sand's sign.

"So you already know me, I'm Naruto. Are you the chick that me and Sasuke had to some pick up?"

Kagome turned to him.

"I'm Kagome and yes I am that chick."

"Cool…"

Awkward silence.

"So how do we get out of here?"

Naruto turned skeptical eyes on her. "You mean to tell me that you were able to get in here but you don't know how to get out?"

"Hahaha…..see about that…this is still a new jutsu for me so….yeah." Kagome sheepishly smiled at Naruto while scratching the back of her head.


	8. The Recovering

Chapter 8

_Seven years ago…_

_The drunken form of the well endowed woman staggered down the alley way as she swished her drink back and forth to a tune only she could hear. The buildings that formed the alley blocked a majority of the wind storm going on. The alley was the safest place to be if one did not want to die from a lung full of sand._

_That was why the little girl was stuck watching the grown woman as she slid down the wall in her drunken stupor. She then watched as the woman laughed and starting talking at nothing._

"_Hehe, can you believe it? My idea of a three man squad is spreading all over the world!" The woman took a swing of her drink, "Your niece is such a brat."She paused for a long time._

"_She is the only thing I have left of you."_

_The woman began to cry and she threw her sake bottle to the wall across from her. The little girl jumped from the shattering of the bottle and began to worry._

"_Why? Why did you and Nawaki have to die? Why did you both have to leave me behind?" The woman got up and began to pace. Walking back and forth in between the walls of the alley the woman seemed to gain a crazy gleam to her eyes._

_She suddenly stopped and faced the storm. The little girl didn't like what she was seeing. When the woman took a step to her certain death the girl shot out and grabbed the woman's shirt. She pulled with all her might to try to keep the lady from her insanity._

"_Don't do it!"_

_The woman paused and turned to look at her. There was a pregnant pause as they stared at each other._

"_Why don't you go back to your parents? You don't even know me."_

"_I don't have any and just 'cause I don't know you don't mean that I should just let you die!" The girl pulled harder on her shirt until the woman backed up a few steps._

"_Listen girl just leave a dead woman finish the job Death started."_

"_I don't understand what you just said so you are going to sit here and sleep."_

"_Like I'ma listen to a five year old."_

"_I'm eight thank you."_

"_You're still a brat." Though she continued to argue verbally she sat on the floor and leaned on the wall. The girl smiled and sat next to the lady. She grabbed the woman's head and brought it to her lap._

_While the woman got comfortable she asked, "So you have a name brat?"_

"_It's Kagome. What about yours…baa-chan?"_

"_Brat! My name is Tsunade."_

_There was silence between them as they listened to the storm calm down._

_After a while Kagome broke the silence._

"_How long have they been dead? That person and Nawaki?" Kagome ran her hand through Tsunade's blonde hair._

"_Being comforted by an eight year old, great," Kagome pulled on a lock of hair. "Hey! Watch it kid."_

"_So, how long?" Tsunade sighed and shifted her body._

"_They have been gone for years."_

"_So why try to commit suicide now?"_

_Tsunade snorted. "You're too young to understand."_

"_Just like I'm too young to know that you have someone that depends on you that would be crying if you died?"_

_There was silence for awhile._

_Kagome looked at Tsunade's face and saw that she was fast asleep._

"_Grown ups."_

_What she did not see was Tsunade's hands fist from guilt at her question._

* * *

Kagome groaned as she stretched on the bed. She nuzzled back into her pillow and felt as content as a cat in catnip.

'Wait, I'm in a bed?'

She opened her eyes and looked around the room. It was pale white with a painting hanging on the wall across from her and a window to her right. To her left were two chairs that were notably empty and her heart monitor. 'Where are people when you need them?'

As if summoned by her thoughts a nurse walked in with a chart in his hands. The nurse was too preoccupied by the chart to notice that Kagome was sitting up on the bed and watching him.

"Ahem."

The man looked up at her. "Oh, you're awake."

The male nurse checked her vitals while he talked to her. "How are you feeling? Can you feel your limbs?"

"I could do better and everything is functioning but in pain. Shouldn't I be on meds for that?"

"If we were to put any more in you, you'd overdose."

"….damn, I'm that bad?"

"Well it's more like you were running on dry chakra reserves and the pain you are feeling now is your chakra pathways trying to repair themselves. Luckily for you Hokage-sama was able to repair your thighs so you won't lose any sensations in them."

Kagome lifted the blanket and looked at her bandaged legs. She looked to the nurse and asked, "Can I see?"

"Sure, I need to change the bandages any ways."

As the nurse started his task the door to her room opened to reveal Gaara and Tsunade walking into her room while having a quiet discussion between them.

"Tsunade-baa-chan!" Kagome squealed.

A twitch developed in the Hokage's brow as she practically yelled, "Brat! I told you to stop calling me that! It is bad enough I have another one calling me that!"

She shooed the nurse to do other duties as she took over his task. She was not oblivious enough to not notice the glare Gaara was sending the male nurse for touching Kagome's bare legs. 'Men,' Tsunade mentally rolled her eyes.

"But how can I call you anything else when you know you love it when I call you grandma? You know you wished you had a kid who could've given birth to someone as awesome as me!" Kagome winced when Tsunade deliberately yanked on the bandages so it would hurt her.

"Keep dreaming brat."

"Oh man, are they going to stay like that?" Kagome ran her hands over the swollen, red scaring on her thighs. The Kyuubi's claws did a number on her legs.

"Well they did get infected but I'm sure with my skills they will eventually just be white scars. No need to worry, I'm sure someone will marry you despite your disfigurement."

Kagome turned scared eyes to Gaara as he brought one of the chairs to her right side and sat in it. "Will you leave me? Please don't say you will leave me now that I am ugly!"

Gaara sighed, "You are not ugly Kagome, stop listening to the woman and her lies. Even if you were to grow a horn from your forehead I would not leave you."

Kagome smiled a 1,000 watt smile and hugged Gaara around his neck with all her worth. Tsunade laughed as Gaara turned a glare at her that was softened by a kiss from Kagome.

"Ok love birds, we have to get to business." Tsunade sat on the chair that was left on Kagome's left. Both Gaara and Kagome turned their attention to Tsunade.

"As you both know the Akatsuki have been collecting the Tailed Beasts for whatever plan they have." Receiving nods she continued. "What we did not know was that apparently there has to be a sacrifice once all the beasts are collected and that this sacrifice must be of Uchiha blood."

"But isn't Itachi in Akatsuki? And Sasuke back in Konoha wouldn't it be logical from their stand point to use Itachi instead of wasting efforts on Sasuke?" Kagome asked.

"Hmm, that would be the case if the gender of the sacrifice was not specific. However, as it is the case, they would need a female Uchiha."

"Then their plans are pointless unless Itachi or Sasuke are planning to have a child. Itachi got rid of every female Uchiha in the massacre."

"While that might have been true we did not take into account Kakashi."

Both Gaara and Kagome were confused. Gaara had enough with the circles they were going in. "Just tell us what is going on Tsunade."

"Kakashi had a relationship with an Uchiha woman before the massacre. Due to the sense of superiority that clan had and their strict Uchihas marrying Uchihas, the woman eloped with Kakashi. However, since Itachi was the head's son he knew of what happened and on the night of the massacre he went to find Kakashi and the woman to kill her." Tsunade paused and let the information sink in.

"Guess what he saw when he went to kill her?"

Kagome gasped, "Kakashi's daughter!"


	9. The Replenish

Chapter 9

Kakashi sighed as he sagged into his chair. He glanced at Naruto's sleeping form hoping to see the blonde wake up. He heard from Sakura that the girl had woken up a few hours ago and was having a short briefing with Tsunade about her mission was to be. Kakashi closed his eyes in irritation of having people know about his personal life. However, it was needed.

Just then he heard Naruto begin to stir. Quickly he took out his _Icha Icha Paradise_ and began to read a random page. He knew all the words in all three books, from cover to sweet smutty cover, but he liked to irritate his ex-students by pretending to ignore them and read the book.

* * *

Naruto awoke and recognized that he was in the Konoha's Hospital. He lifted his protesting body up into a sitting position and saw a pair of legs on the right side of his bed. He followed them and discovered they belonged to Kakashi. He was sitting there as if his most favorite pupil in the world was not in a hospital bed and was reading his perverted book.

"You know you could show a little bit more concern for your ex-student you know."

Kakashi closed his book and dropped his legs to the floor. He leaned in close to Naruto and made a show of looking him up and down.

"I would if my ex-student was near death. Since that is not the case I don't see the point of over worrying." Kakashi smacked Naruto on the back of his head.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"You injured the person who you were meant to watch over and bring back."

Guilt ran across Naruto's face. He knew that no matter what, his priority was his mission and person matter were not to interfere in anyway. Especially if the mission was important to someone close to him. "I'm sorry."

Kakashi took in Naruto's depressed form and could not keep his grudge. If this had happen with someone who was not his only hope to finding his daughter, he would not have been as harsh. Kakashi leaned forward and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"It happens. We all thought that the Kyuubi was not going to be a problem anymore but it is obvious that it is not the case. We probably should have also sent more than just you and Sasuke to go retrieve the girl."

Naruto looked to Kakashi before a knock at the door grabbed his attention.

"May I come in?" Kagome stuck her head in and looked between Naruto and Kakashi.

Naruto grinned at her while nodding his head.

Kagome walked in, back in her ninja outfit, and stood next to Naruto's bed. She bowed to Kakashi and introduced herself.

"Hello, I'm Kagome of the Village Hidden in the Sand, and you are?"

Kakashi tilted his head towards her. "I'm Kakashi, it is nice to meet the person who will be doing me such a grand favor."

Kagome sat on the seat available on her side of the bed, "I am honored to be of help though I wish it was not for such a grave matter."

"You talkin' pretty proper for a girl who couldn't figure a way outta my body. Unless my good looks distracted you and you didn't want to leave me?" Naruto grinned at her.

Out of nowhere, in Naruto's opinion, sand shot out from under the door and rush at Naruto's face. While he struggled to get the sand off, his loving and caring teacher just watched. 'Bastard!'

"Gaara stop it! You are going to suffocate him!" Kagome screamed, leaping from her chair as Gaara walked into the room.

"That is the point."

"Gaara you will stop it right now or so help me you will get use to sleeping on the couch when I come back!"

Reluctantly, Gaara called back his sand, but not before putting a little bit more pressure on Naruto's face. Kagome could glare at him all she wanted; at least he got the sand off of Naruto.

Naruto coughed and gagged on the sand that had made it past his lips and went into his mouth and lungs. Then a thought struck him. Doesn't Gaara use the same sand to kill his opponents? That means he was just swallowing someone's blood! With vigor Naruto tried to hack up any sand inside of his body.

"Calm down Naruto, you're not going to die." Kakashi tried to calm him down.

"No screw you! You did nothing but watch and now I have someone's blood in my mouth!"

Kagome was confused. "What are you talking about?"

There was no way Gaara was going to let Naruto answer that. He knew what Naruto was talking about and there was no way he was going to let him ruin his private time activities with Kagome.

"Have you talked to them about the mission?"

That distracted everyone.

"So you are going to do the mission? Did the old hag already tell you then?" Kagome smiled at Naruto's description of Tsunade.

"Yeah she did. Right now she is collecting those whom she thinks will be a great asset to me while I came to talk to you and Kakashi. It was a good thing both of you were in the same room." Kagome smiled and looked to Kakashi.

"Would you mind telling me where the last place your daughter was and how long it has been since you have last seen her?"

Kakashi crossed his arms as a glazed look entered his eyes.

"She was at the old cottage her mother and I had run away to. Before her death, we had agreed in my daughter staying there so that no one would find out about her. Since I am an active shinobi I had Iruka checking up on her whenever I was gone for too long. She disappeared sometime last week while I was gone on a mission and Iruka was too busy with the new academy students to visit daily."

"Why did you keep her away?"

"Not everyone in Konoha would have agreeable intentions towards my daughter." Kakashi turned a sad eye to Kagome, "I have kept her hidden away because even though she is only 9 years old I was afraid that there may have been some mad man like Orochimaru who would take it into their heads of rebuilding the Uchiha clan for their Sharingan. I did not want her to be a baby-making machine for some lunatic. But now…..now she is going to be used for something much worse."

Kakashi stood up and walked to the window that was behind him.

"I would have been going on this mission too, but I know I would be too emotional to think rationally to be of any use." Kakashi looked back toward Naruto, "Besides, I'm sure you will more than make up for me won't you Naruto?"

Naruto jumped to his knees on the bed with his fist in the air, "I won't let you down Kakashi-sensei! I will make sure nothing happens to your daughter and I will bring her back to you unscathed!"

Gaara sat him down. "Just like you did Kagome, dobe?"

Naruto panicked. "I'm sorry! It wasn't me! And it won't happen on this mission! I promise!"

Kakashi and Kagome laughed. "It is why more people are going with you and Kagome. This is the Akatsuki you are dealing with."

"Yep! Now I'm going to go around and gather supplies. We are leaving tomorrow at dusk so rest up Naruto. You are defiantly going to need it."

With that Kagome and Gaara left Naruto's room through the door and Kakashi jumped out of the window.

Naruto laid back into his pillows and thought about his rescue mission. Kagome seemed like a nice enough girl and he knew that she could hold herself in a fight. Between Kagome and him, he was sure that the mission would be a success. Although, it never hurt to have too many people to back them up.

As his eye lids became heavy and he felt slumber slowly taking him, he heard a soft voice.

"_Okaasan, we are both stronger now."_


	10. The Parting

**Chapter 10**

Gaara awoke from his nap before the sun even lit the sky to the sight of Kagome's raven hiar. He had lain next to Kagome when she went to bed and had watched her all night before his small nap. Though the Shukaku was gone, his insomnia was not.

Gaara tightened his hold around Kagome's waist and pulled her closer to him. It was going to be a long time before he would be able to hold her like this. She fit so perfectly with him; it was such a turn on.

…*rustle*….

…*rustle*…

"Gaara what do you think you're doing?"

It was silent for a moment.

"Hmm, answering the call your body is sending me."

"Oh," Kagome turned her body around and came face to face with Gaara, "and since when does my body say for you to start humping me in my sleep?"

Gaara looked into her eyes and could not help the perverted smirk crawl on to his face. "Since I saw you naked the first time you tried to seduce me."

Kagome grabbed her pillow and tried (key word _tried_) to hit Gaara with it. "You said you would never speak of _it_ again!"

Gaara wiggled around on the bed, avoiding the pillow that Kagome made into a weapon. When he was at the edge of the bed and she was right above him, he lunged up and flipped her on to her back and pinned her down.

Kagome glared at Gaara with all her might hoping that he would burn. She tried to get him off but he knew her limits and took advantage of that knowledge. All Gaara did was smirk and waited her out until she tired. Once she gave up he could have his wicked way with her till they had to part.

Kagome sighed she knew the next two words would seal her fate.

"I give."

* * *

"Asuma and his team will be accompanying you back to your village with some documents that you will have to look over. When you are done with them, Asuma and his team will come back and follow Kagome's trail with several ANBU teams for back up." Shizune informed Gaara as they stood at the Konoha gates.

Gaara nodded his acceptance and turned to look at the trio. "Ready?"

Shikamaru and Ino bobbed their heads as Chouji finished his breakfast. Asuma replied, "Whenever you are."

"Good."

Gaara turned his head to his left and took in all that he could of Kagome. "I expect you back home without injuries."

Kagome smiled at his '_I love you, please be safe'_. Gaara wouldn't be Gaara if he actually said those words out loud.

"I promise to heal here then before I go home." This was a dangerous mission; there was no way that she was not going to not have some kind of damage.

Gaara eyes lingered on her for a while before he turned back to Asuma and his team to signal their leave and began walking away towards the direction of his village. With a wave from Ino to Kagome and Shizune, they followed after the Kazekage.

Kagome kept her smile on her face as she watched them leave. She stayed there until she could no longer see them. She stayed until Shizune told her that they wanted her at the Hokage Tower.

* * *

"So who are my fellow teammates that I have the pleasure to drag along with me?" Kagome asked Tsunade as she stood at attention in front of the Hokage's desk.

"The people who will be accompanying you are; Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura Haruno, Kiba Inuzuka, Neji Hyuga, Shino Aburame, and Tenten. These are their photos." After Tsunade passed the pictures to Kagome, she linked her hands under her chin. "They are not ANBU but they seem to have a rare luck about them that seem to keep them alive. Most of my ANBU teams are out in scouting missions making sure the Akatsuki is not aware of you and seeing what else they can find out. You should be meeting up with them along the way. The rest are needed here and I cannot spare them."

Kagome nodded her head. "Is my mission purely a rescue or would you like it to be a surveillance of the enemy too?"

"I have my own little flies on the walls to give me information about what they are doing so I do have some information. This is how we found out about Hitori, Kakashi's daughter, being taken and what they plan to do with her."

"So you have confirmed that they plan to use her as a medium for all nine tailed beasts then?"

Tsunade nodded her head. "Knowing that it always took some kind of sacrifice to put the creatures into a host and that the host themselves died when the beast were extracted…..the chances of her surviving having all nine of them are not all that great."

There was a pregnant silence after her statement. Both could not help to feel the brutality of the truth. If Kagome were to fail her mission, not only would she make a father despair over losing a child but she would also be leaving a powerful weapon in the hands of the enemy.

"I have arranged for you to go meet up with your team for lunch so you all could get together and get to know one another. Remember, everyone must be ready to leave by dusk."

Kagome lifted her hand in salute before she turned around and marched out the door. Tsunade just watched her go with a deadpan look. Once Kagome was out the door Shinzue leaned close to Tsunade's ear and asked, "Why was she doing that?"

"Hell if I know." Tsunade took out her sake and took a swing from the jar.

* * *

Kagome strolled down the street and took in the sights and smells of Konoha. It was still an hour or so till she had to meet up with her new team and was told to meet them at Ichiraku. While all of that was fine and dandy, they forgot to show her where it was. So she decided to walk around and see if she could find it herself. It was a bit relaxing not having to worry about sandstorms or sand getting to places that it should not be. 'But does Gaara listen to me? Noooo.' Kagome pouted and stuffed her hands into her knee length shorts.

"Kaaaagooommee!"

Kagome paused and looked up. She saw Naruto jumping up and down waving his hands in the air as if she could not already spot him with his orange jump suite. Kagome smiled at his antics and waved back. She noticed that he wasn't alone. Sasuke and a girl with pink hair were with him.

When she got close to them Naruto seemed to have a hard time keeping his grin off his face.

"Hey Kagome! Are you feeling better?" Naruto made a show of going around her to check how well she healed.

Kagome laughed, "Shouldn't that be my line?"

Sasuke snorted. "This idiot can take anything. Believe me; he is like a pest invasion that will not go away."

"Shut up bastard!" Naruto threw a punch in Sasuke's direction. His fist was stopped by the pink haired girl.

"Naruto! Leave Sasuke alone!"

"But Sakura! He started it!"

Sakura's glare intensified until Naruto whimpered in defeat. To interrupt before it got awkward Kagome spoke up.

"Hello, I believe we haven't been introduced formally? I'm Higurashi Kagome."

Sakura blinked before a blush of embarrassment crossed her face. "Sorry about that. Old habits die hard. My name is Haruno Sakura and I will be joining you on this mission."

"I am glad to have you on this team." Kagome smiled. "So do you guys know where Ichiraku is? I was suppose to meet you guys and the rest of the team there and I have no clue where it is."

"Of course Kagome! Come on, to Ichiraku!" Naruto yelled as he grabbed Kagome's wrist and dragged her away. Sasuke and Sakura just sighed and followed at their own pace.


	11. The Path

Ch. 11

Kagome did not know how to take in the sight before her.

Naruto's was an unrestrained glutton that could not fill the void that is his stomach. He was going on his twentieth bowl!

And Kiba was not helping. After introductions and food was ordered, both he and Naruto decided to make it a competition to see who could eat the most ramen. Considering that they were now going on their twenty-fifth, Kagome had to wonder how they going to pay for all that. When she asked, Naruto and Kiba grinned as they shamelessly replied that they were putting it all on Tsunade's tab.

Neji and Tenten held the same look of shock on their faces as she did. Not because they were witnessing this scene for the first time but because there was just no way a human stomach could hold as much as those two were eating. Shino didn't seem to care much about what they were doing…then again you couldn't really read his expression.

But it must have been a common occurrence if both Sasuke and Sakura were not fazed.

Sakura drew the group's attention from the spectacle that was Naruto and Kiba when she asked Kagome a question. "Did the Hokage tell you why we were not sent out immediately to go retrieve Hitori? She is in the hands of the Akatsuki and being held hostage after all."

Kagome drew her eyes from the tie that had seemed to occur (due to the ramen not being made fast enough) between the "idiots" as Sasuke so kindly put it, to answer Sakura.

"Though a knee-jerk reaction would have been to go after Hitori, it would not have been the best idea. Able ninjas would have been injured and the Akatsuki would have covered up their tracks more thoroughly. They need her in prime condition for what they wish to do with her so it is not likely that they would her. The fact that we have the luxury of time is due to them missing two very important factors to their master plan. It would be costly if we just rushed in with no plan of action."

Naruto stopped his glaring contest with Kiba and glanced at Kagome. "Was that why Kakashi didn't tell us sooner?"

Kagome tilted her head his way. "All of you are close and knowing you he saw that the best course of action was to inform Tsunade before doing anything."

"Do you have a plan?" Neji inquired.

Kagome nodded, "From what Tsunade has told me, we will be starting our search in the Hot Spring country. Hitori was spotted with two men in black coats with red cloud heading for its capital, Yugakure. Can I assume that your bugs can track down scents Shino?" At Shino's nod Kagome continued, "Once we get there, we can use sense of smell to track down Hitori. "

"What if we can't?" Tenten spoke up.

Kagome shifted uneasily and peeked at Naruto from the corner of her eye. "Then we would have to make it known that we have something that they want."

* * *

"Girl if you don't stop moving around I will knock you out again."

"Do it! I dare you!"

Kisame dropped his charge from his back on the ground. He was ready to smack some sense into the brat.

Hitori tensed and waited for the big blue meanie to hit her. When nothing happened she looked up and saw that the old man with them stopped Sharky.

"Kisame, I would not have thought that you would be so easily riled up by a child. One who was tied up to boot."

"I'm a missing nin, not a baby sitter. I thought that would have been obvious."

Itachi sighed as he let go of Kisame's arm and bent down to look the child in the eye.

Hitori did not know what happened. One moment she was watching as Sharky was being scolded by the old man when all of a sudden he was next to her and looked her in the eye with his red eyes and then everything got all blurry and slowly turned black. When she was able to see again she saw her daddy saving her from the big meanies and taking her home.

"_Daddy."_

Itachi froze and glanced at the girl's face on his shoulder. After a while he continued on his path with Kisame following behind.

* * *

Running was always a pain in the ass, but when one lives the life of a ninja, it is a requirement. It is a requirement to be able to run at night when the only light there is comes from the moon and the stars. So Tsunade really knew who she was choosing when she created this team.

Shino was in the lead taking signals from his bugs on where to go, where to step, and where to avoid. Following him was Kiba riding Akamaru. The dog's white fur was able to reflect what little light there was and able to guide Sasuke and Neji on where to go. Their eyes keen enough to follow where the dog would go. Sakura and Kagome not too far behind them, keeping track by sound. And bring up the rear was Naruto. If anyone would fall, he was ready to catch them.

They had left Konoha a few hours ago and as it got harder to track each other the closer everyone got. No words were needed and, though Kagome was the new one, everyone adapted. Everyone was trying to conserve as much chakra as they could in case they got ambushed so no one was going too fast.

Kagome could already feel that in the small amount of time that she had spent with this group that they had really become a team member. If they were like this three years ago, she could see what must have made Tsunade give up her hermit ways and becoming the Hokage. These adolescent ninjas doing a better job than older shinobi with more experience were doing and having a sense of loyalty to their village and its members.

Kagome was glad that Tsunade created this team. She was also glad to be a part of it.


	12. The Divert

Ch. 12

The moon was high in the sky as the creatures of the night crawled and lurked amongst the shadows. On this night a man was sitting in a cave as he envisioned his future. Upon the wall that he faced was a drawing of an ancient creature that had created great strife to mankind. It was his goal to bring it back into the world and be its master.

As he reached out to touch the engraving of the creature, his subordinate appeared behind him. He did not move as he addressed his henchman.

"What did you find?"

"They are on their way. Should we intercept them?"

The man tilted his head towards his little spy. It did not surprise him that they were already making their move. A valuable _asset_ was in danger of being destroyed, something had to be done. In their haste they led the last puzzle piece to him. What fools.

"No, let them come to us. The fox is in the party is he not?"

The spy nodded his head from his kneeling position in confirmation.

"Good." The man maliciously smirked, "Seems like they are overly confident of themselves. Go and capture him, I tire of waiting."

The spy quickly vanished as he went off to do the work of his master. The man's attention was brought back to the etching on the wall.

"Soon you will be mine."

**xXxXx**

"Thank you so much for your time," Kagome smiled as she left the vegetable stand.

The team had arrived the day before at the city of Yugakure. This was the ninja village of the Hot Spring Country and so far they could not find any leads. Akamaru and Shino's bugs were able to trace Hitori's scent to this village but it did not make any sense to Kagome why the Akatsuki would come to an area where there were multiple ninjas that could have spotted them. Yet even with all the ninjas it seemed that no one had seen Hitori or anyone with a black robe that has red clouds on them.

'_I don't like this, something feels off.' _

Kagome shook off the feeling as she walked out of the city and entered the woods. She went to the designated meeting spot and found the rest of her team already there.

Neji was the first to spot her and asked, "Any good news?"

Kagome sighed, "Nothing. I am afraid that we will be forced to go with Plan B."

Everyone shifted uncomfortably. No one felt right about advertising that Naruto was the Kyuubi vessel, thus intentionally putting him in danger. They could not justify giving up one of their own like that.

Naruto sensed the guilt in the air and did not like it.

"Hey guys don't worry about it, I'm stronger than before and it's not like you will be abandoning me." Naruto smiled his famous grin as he folded his arms behind his head.

Sakura lightly slapped Naruto upside his head.

"_Sakura-chan!_ Why you have to hit so hard?" Naruto whined as he clutched his head.

The term lightly being that Sakura did not put any chakra behind the slap.

"You should know by now Naruto, we are a team and we don't abandon our members," Sakura huffed as everyone else nodded in agreement.

Kagome watched and could not help the small smile on her face. Oh how she was glad that the mentality of being a ninja has changed. The group continued their antics as Naruto tried to point out that being bait was strategically genius. Kagome soon noticed from the corner of her eye Shino giving her the signal that their little spy was back and watching them. '_Time to turn on the charm._'

Kagome gave her own signal to back to show that she saw the message. She then brought the groups attention to her.

"While we may not like advertising you, we still need to get going and have word spread that you are here. We will reside inside the Village and have you be your usual self. There is bound to be someone working for the Akatsuki and will send word to them."

"So now that we know what to do let us go and get some hotel rooms. I want a bath and a real bed tonight!"

Sakura and Tenten cheered until Kiba decided to open his mouth. "Thank god, I couldn't stand the stank. It was starting to get to much, right Akamaru? Akamaru?" Kiba turned to see his nin-dog lying on the ground with his front paws covering his face. "You too huh buddy? Well don't worry tonight we will get a break."

Akamaru could only whimper as his friend dug his grave deeper and deeper. If Kiba had turned to look behind him, he would have seen the three women in their team glowering at him with flames in their eyes and around them.

Neji, Sasuke, and Shino all took a couple of steps back and could only shake their heads in shame at the poor fool. Meanwhile Naruto could not help the malicious smile from growing across his face.

"Oi! Kiba, I didn't quite hear you. What did you say?"

Kiba turned to repeat what he said to the idiot's face when he saw the danger that was behind him. _'Oh fuck me!'_

"Hehehe, ladies! Calm down now," Kiba held his hands up near his face in surrender. "I wasn't talking about you! I was talking about the idiot over there," Kiba pointed to Naruto, who did not do anything because he knew Kiba was about to get hurt. "I would never insult beauties such as yourselves!"

The girls looked back and forth from each other and to the guys it seemed as if they were having a mental conversation. Kiba was sweating up a storm, he was beyond nervous. Finally it seemed as if the girls came to an agreement. They faced Kiba. Sakura began, "Since you feel that we smell so bad that your nose is in pain,"

"And since we are in need of rooms for the duration of this mission," Tenten continued.

"We have decided that you will be paying for both our rooms and the guys' rooms." Kagome finished with the killing blow.

With that all the girls pivoted on their feet and marched back into the village in search of a reasonable hotel. In reality they were only going to get two rooms; one for the boys and one for girls, however, Kiba didn't need to know that. They were going to let him suffer a bit as they would throw out suggestions for the priciest hotels and tell him how each one of the team members would get a room from those hotels.

This left Kiba with calculating how much money would disappear from his accounts and how much he would have to owe. He cried silent tears as he realized that he would not be able to afford food. Akamaru would have to starve for his big mouth!

All the while Naruto was laughing his butt off. It served the damn mutt right! How dare Kiba say he smelled!

Neji, Sasuke, and Shino could only watch at the antics of the team and collectively sigh as they followed the women in the search for a place to stay.

**xXxXx**

"No wonder this is called Hot Spring Country! All their hot springs are amazing!" Kagome gushed as she leaned back on the side of the pool.

Sakura laughed at Kagome's antics. "I don't think that is why it is called that way." Sakura paused as the sliding door to the spring slid open to reveal a blushing Tenten wrapped in her towel.

"What's going on Tenten?" Sakura asked in concern. Tenten looked at Sakura but quickly looked down and closed the door behind her. "Umm, are the boys on the other side of wall over there?" Tenten pointed to the wooden fence to try and get the girl to face away from her.

Both Kagome and Sakura turned to face the wall as if they could see through the wood and spot the guys on the other side. While they were turned away Tenten slid into the spring and tried to find a comfortable spot to sit.

It occurred to Kagome what might be the problem. "Don't worry Tenten, I'm sure Neji won't be a pervert and use his Byakugan to see us."

There was a pause before Sakura busted out laughing. Tenten flushed even more before she slapped her hand over her face.

"What is so funny?" The girls heard from the other side of the wall.

"Ka-Ka-Kagome thinks that Neji can see through the wood and see us naked!" Sakura managed to get out between her laughter.

Naruto and Kiba joined Sakura in laughing their butts off. Shino and Sasuke smirked in amusement while Neji unknowingly blushed along with Kagome.

Once the laughter calmed down a bit Neji explained, "The Byakugan can only see chakra paths, so while I can see you through the wall, I can only see your chakra paths."

"Oh well, that's good then…" Kagome trailed off as she watched Sakura trying to catch her breath.

"So…you and Gaara, huh?" Tenten casually asked to try and redirect everyone's attention.

Kagome smiled softly at Gaara's name. "Yep."

"How did that happen?" Kiba asked. Who would not be interested to know how a person like Gaara got a person like Kagome?

"Well it was your typical boy-meets-girl scenario….only with a bit more of girl-trying-to-make-boy-see-reason." Kagome answered truthfully.

Sakura jumped at the chance to hear any type of romance. "What do you mean? Was he trying to kill you? Did you have someone at the time and he had fallen madly in love with you at first sight and wanted him out of the picture? Was it because you both were separated by social status?"

Everyone was surprised she did not stop to take a breath throughout her questioning. Naruto could not help but think that maybe Sakura was secretly into Jiraiya's books considering that those suggestions were a reoccurring theme in them. Sasuke did not want to know so he left the spring. He had better things to do than listen to someone's love life, like sleep.

Kagome laughed a bit nervously before saying, "Well it was more of we both realized we loved each other but he refused to get involved with me because of his past. So I kind of had to knock some sense into him."

"That…does not sound romantic at all." Tenten could not help but point out.

"Maybe she is down playing it so that you will drop the subject." Neji offered wanting to rest for a bit from idle female chatter. He took a page from Sasuke's book and left the spring before the conversation continued anymore.

Sakura got upset at how rude Neji was. "Well as much as this is fun and all I really need to get some sleep. Night guys!" She quickly walked out the spring and into the building.

Only Kagome, Tenten, Shino, and Naruto were left to soak in the springs.

**xXxXx**

The trio, with Shino adding a comment here and there, still had conversations going back and forth between them. After a while it seemed Shino could not stand the heat anymore and exited the spring. "Good night Shino!" Kagome called out.

"So anyways, back to my story. After days of trying to find out what Kakashi's face looks like under his mask and days of failed attempts we finally asked him when we had enough. And guess what? He said ok! We were all excited and waited for him to show us how he looked and you know what he did? He just pulled down his mask to show us _another mask!_" Naruto all but yelled. "Who does that?"

Kagome and Tenten exploded into laughter. Though Naruto was ranting a bit, he too started to laugh. It was funny to think about the old days and the trials he had to deal with Kakashi.

As they were calming down they noticed that it was strangely silent. No bug noise, no animal calls, not even the wind passing through the trees.

"Naruto, do you have any weapons with you?" Kagome whispered. The unnatural silence was making her nervous.

"I didn't bring any with me," Naruto whispered back.

Tenten soundless summoned chakra into her hands before she pressed them to her biceps. Once her hands came into contact with her arms it seemed and as seal signs appeared on her skin before a poof of smoke revealed a staff in her right hand and two kunai knives in her left. She passed one kunai to Kagome and threw one over the wall to Naruto.

"A little warning would be helpful next time!" Naruto whispered forcefully after barely being stabbed by the kunai.

That seemed to be what the enemy was waiting for because at that moment the water rose and made bubble like prisons around them.

"Naruto!" Both Kagome and Tenten yelled.

"Fuck! This looks like a Water Prison Jutsu!" Naruto screamed.

"But isn't the person supposed to be touching the bubble? We should not be able to move, right?" Kagome shrieked back. Tenten tried to tear through the water with her staff but all it did was bounce back the attacks.

"My my my, what a smart girl." Kagome and Tenten lifted their heads to see a person crouching on the ledge of the wall separating the spring. He was dressed in black from head to toe. They could not even see his eyes due to the material covering them.

"What the fuck do you want?" Naruto bellowed at him.

The man turned his attention to Naruto's side of the spring and replied, "Why for you of course. I would like to thank you girls for giving me such a nice present. My master will be most happy." The man stood up as he made a lifting motion with his right hand. " Come come, time to go!"

"Fuck you dick head!" Naruto tried to punch through the bubble and get his hands on the guy. When he came into the girls' vision they did all they could to get out of the bubble, but it was no use.

"Such temper. I think you should _relax_." With that Naurto's bubble turned greenish. While Naruto did his best to resist he succumbed to the stranger's wishes and passed out.

"Naruto!" Tenten and Kagome screeched.

"This is where I take my leave. You should hope we don't meet again."

The man ran along the top of the wall till he bounded to a tree branch. He disappeared into the surrounding trees with the towel clad Naruto not far behind him.

However, even with the man gone Tenten and Kagome were still imprisoned. Try as they might, they could not get out.

"Naruto!"

* * *

AN: Soo...for those that wanna know why I took forever go check out QuickStar's "_The Change_". It is a Predator fic that I have been helping her with. Yep...I got into Alien/Predator stories. :3


	13. The Deliverance

Ch. 13

For over an hour Kagome and Tenten called for help but no one would answer. It was late into the night and considering their luck so far, no one else had gone to use the hot spring. They were beginning to lose hope of ever getting out of the bubble prisons, then, as if the world decided to turn off the mute, they noticed that noise was coming from their surroundings. Kagome and Tenten looked at each other as they realized that throughout the whole time they were screaming for help, not once were they able to hear anything other than their own voices.

Now that they could hear sound once more they tried calling their friends again.

This time everyone heard them and rushed to see what was going on. Before anyone could ask anything Kagome quickly took charge before they lost too much time.

"Everyone go get dressed and see if you can find Naruto. They have an hour head start, move!" Everyone did not question her and quickly went to do as she said. Akamaru, who was forced to stay in the room before, stayed to sniff the area in search of a trail. Not even a minute passed before Neji and Shino were back. Kagome quickly told Neji, "I need you to see if there are any chakra reserves or any weak spots on these stupid bubbles. We can't get out no matter what we tried."

Neji activated his Byakugan, "On it."

When Kiba came back dressed, Akamaru began to barked at him.

"Fuck!" Kiba turned to face Kagome. "He says that he can't smell anything, all he smells is where Naruto was before it just disappears."

"My bugs can smell a trail." Shino interrupted.

"How the hell can your bugs smell it but Akamaru can't?" Kiba screamed in indignation. Before it turned into a lecture or a fight Kagome intervened, "I don't give a crap how they can, just follow it and go help your teammate damnit!"

Cowed, Kiba jumped onto Akamaru as Sakura and Sasuke finally emerged from the building.

"Follow me." With that Shino led the group to where the trail led them.

Once they disappeared Kagome heard a splash. When she turned to look she saw Tenten was free from the trap the enemy had put them in. Neji quickly went to Kagome as Tenten took off to get their clothes. When they were ready, they would catch up with the rest and rescue their teammate. No matter what it took, they would get him back.

**xXxXx**

"_They are right behind you!"_

The kidnapper stopped in his tracks as he turned to face the person emerging from the tree. "What the hell do you mean? I gave them the slip back in the Hot Spring Country six days ago. There is no way that they followed me past the Rice Field Country."

"Hm, while Sasuke may have history there with the Sound Village, that new girl has been keeping them on track. While you were messing around for a couple of days instead of doing your job, they were catching ground."

"_You have always been a fool, Kobun, so cocky. We will clean up your mess, like always but this time we won't save you. Can't even tell the real thing from a fake."_

"What the hell do you mean by that Zetsu?" Kobun yelled at the disappearing plant-thing. Zetsu smiled as he warned, "They are here."

"What?" A kunai zoomed past Kobun's face. He looked to the direction he came from and sure enough there amongst the branches were the target's friends. _Shit!_

"You have two people that we want back, either you do it willingly or we will make you." Sakura yelled at him.

Kobun sniffed in anger before he got into a fighting stance. "There may be a lot of you but I am a lot powerful than I look. Shadow clone jutsu!" With a huge poof seven Kobuns appeared on different branches.

"Guess we each get one guys!" Tenten yelled as she unstrapped the huge shuriken that was strapped to her back. She then threw it to the nearest clone and moved their battle farther from the group when the duplicate dodged her attack.

As everyone else started to pick their clones and begin their fights, Sasuke noticed that Kagome had yet to move from her spot. "Aren't you going to fight?"

Kagome glanced at him before she closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate on something. "Cover me; I am going to look for the real one."

Though Sasuke sorely wanted to ask her what she thought she was doing, he quickly made a double before their opponents began their assault. Everyone knew that it was impossible to find the real ninja once they used a shadow clone jutsu. This meant either she did not know the obvious or she had a way of finding him. Kagome had yet to steer them wrong so he was going to follow her lead.

"Fire ball jutsu!"

**xXxXx**

_Ok, come on Kagome, you can do this! Remember what Kaede taught you. Focus! _Kagome tried to ignore the cries of her teammates fighting and the destruction of the area. She could hear the tearing of flesh as someone was stabbed and the thuds of bodies hitting trees and the ground. Just as she was going to give up and just fight she noticed something. It was different and it was quickly moving away from the battle area.

_Got you!_ Kagome swiftly pulled out a shikigami and smeared blood from her finger on it, then threw it on the ground. Soon a massive dog that could easily out weight Akamaru appeared. Kagome looked into its golden eyes and took note of its purple markings before she jumped on to its shoulders and yelled, "Follow him!"

The dog let out an enormous howl that stopped all fighting. Everyone's attention was on the snow white form that was giving off such malicious intent. The familiar turned into an orb and flew in the direction of its victim. When its overwhelming presence left, everyone turned their attention back to their opponents and the battles resumed.

**xXxXx**

Kobun was running as fast and quietly as he could; he made some tactical errors as it was, there was no need to waste time fighting. Yet his plans were foiled once more as a glowing sphere crashed into the ground in front of him and revealed a monster of a dog with one of the fox's friends on top of it.

"Move out of the way girl! You do not know who you are dealing with!"

"Why do all evil villains say that? Is it an unspoken code or something? Zeesh," Kagome taunted.

Kobun growled at the insult but did not take the bait. Instead he place Naruto's bubble near a tree and quickly threw kunai and shuriken at Kagome.

Kagome's familiar easily blocked the attack with just a swipe of its paw. It then lunged at Kobun and tried to bite him in two. Kobun quickly moved out of the way and did some hand signs. Like in the hot spring, noise seemed to stop and Kagome noticed that a few of the leaves that had been swept into the air from her familiar's dive were frozen.

"This has got to be a genjutsu." Kagome became nervous as she suddenly could not see or hear Kobun. She shut her eyes and tried to hone in her spiritual awareness to try and locate Kobun.

"Shoma, be my eyes and ears."

Long ago Kagome had found out that if she let her familiar free reign and did not over power it with her will that it was immune to genjutsus. With this attack being powerful enough to where there was no way of getting out without the user allowing it, this was her best shot. Kagome tightened the hold she had on Shoma's fur as he lunged and moved about. Every once and awhile she would feel something sharp press against her body. With each stab another wound was made and became a distraction for Kagome. While she tried her best to take it like a warrior and go on despite the pain, Kagome let out a scream and lost her concentration once she was puncture through her stomach.

"Looks like I got you."

Kagome quickly opened her eyes and saw an icicle sticking out from her stomach. Kagome coughed up blood and began to panic when she looked up. There in front of her, Kobun was about to pierce her a second time through her head when she heard her familiar speak to her.

"Are you really this weak girl? It is a genjutsu, no matter how real it is, unless you accept it, it is all a deceit of your senses. Humans are such pathetic creatures."

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as Kobun brought down the second icicle for the killing blow. _It is an illusion, an illusion, an illusion, illusion, illusion, illusion! He is not there, where his spiritual energy is, is where he is! Quick look for his energy, energy energy…_

Exactly as Kagome felt the piercing bite of the icicle on her forehead she found where Kobun was. Quickly she pushed chakra into her hands and created a bow and arrow. When she felt the icicle pushing through her skin and touching against her skull she released the chakra arrow. It flew true and punctured Kobun in his lung.

With just with that one injury the genjutsu was destroyed. Kagome could hear everything and the environment was moving like normal.

"How the hell….did you do…that?" Kobun gasped for breath.

Kagome opened her eyes and saw Kobun withering on the floor in agony. She jumped off her familiar and walked towards him. She placed a foot on his neck to hold him down, further cutting off his air supply. She prepared another arrow on her chakra bow and addressed him.

"If I told you that, the little birdy watching would know." Kagome shot the chakra arrow to Kobun's head. That was the end of him.

Kagome faced up into the branches surrounding her as she stared straight into golden eyes.

"_My my, what an interesting little girl."_

"While that was a good call not telling us your secret, we will eventually know." Zetsu began to disappear into the bark. "These are just a few hints but…you might want to go north from here, there is a very precious little girl waiting for you. Reach Hanzo of the Salamander's home."

Once he was gone Kagome turned to her familiar and bowed to him. "Thank you for your assistance today. May your days be prosperous till I seek your aid once more."

Shoma snorted, "While you may have improved, there is still yet things in which you need to develop in." The familiar poofed and in his place a shikigami stood. Kagome quickly caught it before it could land on the ground and placed it back in its place.

Kagome faced to where Naruto was laying, still in only his towel. She sighed at how rude Kodun was for leaving him in a state like that. She collapsed beside him as she waited for the rest of the team to catch up to her. She applied pressure to the wound on her stomach and on her forehead. Kagome supplied her energy to the injuries until they were sealed. She hoped that Sakura would be one of the first ones to find her, she didn't want to die of blood loss because of a stupid genjutsu.


	14. The Wager

Ch. 14

Red eyes glowed in annoyance once Zetsu finished giving his report. Kobun always was an idiot; the only good that came out of the incident was that at least he would not have to deal with killing Kobun himself. He turned his attention to the little girl that Itachi and Kisame brought back, as per their mission. _At least some people are competent._

"Well little girl, it seems that you get to live longer just yet." He chuckled when the girl tried to attack him. She was held back by the staining chains that were fastened to the sacrificial wall and her voice was silenced by the cloth binding her mouth. The sight was just pathetic.

"How long do you think it will be before they arrive?" Kisame asked.

He hummed as he walked away from the tied up girl and headed to his throne. "They are injured so it may be a while before they get here." He glanced at Kisame before ordering, "Tell everyone to gather in the chamber. It will take a while to gather the necessary chakra amount for the extraction and the summoning. While our little friends are looking for us, we will store our chakra into the behemoth. "

He gazed up to the demon like statue that was straight across from his throne. Within eight of its nine arms that were spread like a peacock's tail feathers were glowing spheres that would emit pain filled cries from its prisoners. The statue's large mouth stood viciously open above the struggling girl.

"How will we corral them to where we want them if everyone will be in the chamber?" Itachi asked monotonously.

"Orochimaru's experiments will finally be useful for something. Though even a genin could easily defeat them, they could be used like bread crumbles for them to follow." The man snorted. "From what I gather we may not even need to extract the Kyuubi. Zetsu has told me that the fox has been weaving its chakra within its host as a means for it not to be used." The man smiled a sinister smile. "If that is the case all we have to do is put the host in the correct spot and we can use what chakra we have stored as a safety net for the greatest summoning that ever will be done!"

Itachi looked to the empty hand on the statue as their boss began to laugh maliciously.

_Who is the bigger fool, the vessel or you?_

* * *

**xXxXx**

* * *

"Kagome are you sure you heard the guy right? Considering what the Akatsuki has been doing, wouldn't they need a bigger space than someone's house?" Sakura asked.

Shino decided to answer, "While in a normal home it would be considered odd, you have to take into account whose home it was. Hanzo of the Salamander was a very paranoid person. When you look at the measures he took to keep himself safe, why not have those same precautions for his home?"

"Plus, while the Akatsuki's base may not be there they want us there for some reason." Kagome said as she shifted her weight to try and lighten the load on Naruto. "We have what they want and they already know we are more than willing to walk into their hands." Kagome gestured the area around them. "If you haven't noticed for the past two days we have yet to sense a spy or have some sort of attack on us. Either they have gotten cocky or they are preparing for something."

Silence took hold for the rest of the day as everyone took in the information that they heard.

Two days had passed with no attack forth coming so the group had decided to walk at a leisurely pace so that everyone could recover from their injuries. Though Sakura healed the most fatal and crippling wounds she had to save chakra and could not heal everyone's soreness. Kagome was the one with the more fatal wounds, so even with Sakura helping the healing Kagome had to take it easy and heal what she could on her own. It would not be to the group's advantage if Kagome and Sakura almost die from chakra exhaustion. Though there was no rush to save Hitori officially, they did not want her to be in the enemy's hold any longer. While they were pushing a bit harder than they should, they could not help the need to conserve their strength.

It did not help matters when they had received word by messenger hawk that their back up was not following them as planned and that the hidden ANBU accomplices were called back to the village. It was very discouraging news but they had to go on and finish the mission. This meant that any movement or attack had to be done with the thought in mind that they were on their own.

Kiba sighed in depression. This mission was just getting worse and worse. Was it too hard to ask for the enemy to just face them head on so they could get this over with? _Oh wait we are ninja, that not in our nature. Damnit!_

* * *

**xXxXx**

* * *

That night after a few hours after the sun had set; Sasuke relieved Sakura of her guard duty. Watching her nodding off and not even taking in the environment made him feel unsafe. He remembered from the old days what Sakura's limit was during guard duty and it seems even after all these years, back when it was just Team Seven and Sakura was still in her fan-girl phase, some things had not changed. He was just grateful that she had matured from the fan-girl phase and grew into the woman she was now today. If only he could fall for her…

Sasuke sighed as he leaned back into the tree's trunk. Everyone in the village thought that it was her that allowed for him to return to "normal" but really it was just the interactions between Sakura and Naruto that reminded him how it was to be amongst friends. Sakura just happened to act like gum and not leave him alone so everyone assumed she was the cause.

Sasuke looked around to see if he could spot anything abnormal before his eyes landed on Naruto's sleeping face.

He huffed and folded his hands behind his head. He remembered the last time he was in this position and hoped that what happen last time did not happen again. Sasuke's eyes soften as he fondly thought; _There are only so many surprises I can take outside of a battle field Naruto._

* * *

**xXxXx**

* * *

Naruto sighed his imaginary sigh in his imaginary world. Though he had been in here so many times before, he could not wrap his mind around this being how a person's mind really looked like. It might be just a way for him to envision a representation of his mind. Because he sure as hell was sure that his mind is not this empty and it would be a lot harder for Ino and her father to take over someone's body.

Why was he thinking about this?

Because it was a lot better than thinking about the mission he was on. So what if Kagome defeated the bad guy, what would have happen if she wasn't here? No one would have noticed the guy's escape until it was too late or that not one of the clones they were fighting was the real one. And he couldn't do anything about it! How was he going to handle the Akatsuki?

"_Don't worry brat, this is why I am allowing my chakra to fuse with yours."_

"But that is the whole point! Why do I have to rely on someone else's strength?" Naruto waved his arms and stomped around, "Why are you even doing this in the first place? Wouldn't your very existence disappear?"

Kyuubi sighed as he rested his snout on his forepaws. _"Yes, in a sense my identity will disappear, but if you haven't notice my personality is being infused with yours."_

"But why are you allowing that to happen? Didn't you want to get out of me and be free?"

"_Brat, I have been alive for a very long time and these dreams or memories or whatever the hell we are seeing have made me realized something. That something has led to my decision of fusing with you even with the cost of my very existence."_ The fox pushed Naruto to fall on his butt and then he laid part of his snout on Naruto's lap. _"Don't take this as I am suddenly a nice demon who will not kill you at a moment's notice. This is just me accepting what I was fated to do and getting it over and done with. Who knows, the next life might have sultry vixens just waiting for me to take them."_

"Ok, that is just disgusting when you are saying that while you are on my lap." Naruto wrinkled his nose in disgust as Kyuubi just foxily smirked. "Will your chakra be like mine, only more unlimited or something?"

"_Hmm, not really. You will most likely lose all sense and go on a rampaging killing spree."_ Naruto groaned in disappointment. _"If that does happen just make sure that before you go on your killing spree that you are near Kagome, she will probably be the only one that can bring you back from that state."_

Naruto was startled, "What do you mean?"

"_She stopped me the first time remember?"_ At Naruto's nod Kyuubi continued, _"Well what makes you think she can't stop you?"_

"Gah! That is the point! Why do I have to rely on someone else? I should be strong enough to handle my own chakra and defend everyone!" Naruto stood up and began to pace back and forth. "I have all this power, all this potential, only for me to lose control of it all? This is bull crap!"

"At least now you know how I felt when I decided to leave Konoha with Orochimaru."

Naruto and Kyuubi turned their attention to their unexpected visitor. "Bastard! What are you doing here?"

Sasuke sighed as he shifted his weight on his feet. "Your chakra was fluctuating so much that it was bound to signal someone of our location. So I woke up Neji to keep an eye out while I came in here to see what was going on."

"Nothing is going on." Naruto sniffed.

"_What you can do is mind your own fucking business _Uchiha_."_ Kyuubi spit out Sasuke's family's name with such venom it was not hard to see that the fox did not care for him much.

"As fun as that would be I need to make sure Naruto does not chicken out on us when we start fighting."

"What was that bastard?" Naruto seethed at Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed again. "What you can't hear now? Are you that frighten?" Naruto appeared in front of Sasuke and threw his fist at Sasuke's face. Sasuke quickly dodged the strike and put some distance between Naruto and him.

"Shut up! You don't know anything!"

Now Sasuke was pissed.

"Oh, so I don't know how it feels like to face someone who is stronger than you." Sasuke disappeared and reappeared in front of Naruto. Sasuke quickly threw a kick that hit Naruto on the side.

"I don't know how it feel like to be given power greater than my own but not from my hard work or training." Sasuke's curse seal unleashed as his Sharigan swirled rapidly in his eyes. He easily dodged Naruto's attacks.

"I don't know how it feels like to be wanted by someone with evil intent and no matter how much I try to save my friends they get hurt anyways." Sasuke wasted no time in beating Naruto onto his back on the floor. He swiftly pulled out his long katana and held it against Naruto's throat.

"I don't know anything?"

Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other with all of their frustrations and anger towards the outside world. They both had been in the same situation and Naruto realized it was not fair of him to accuse Sasuke of not knowing what he was going through. When Sasuke was dealing with Orochimaru he felt that Naruto did not understand what was going on and in some level Naruto didn't, but if Sasuke had only been more open to speaking to others he may have not even gone with the sick bastard.

Naruto sighed as he dropped his head on the floor. "Ok, I get it. I am being a dumbass."

"So good of you to notice." Sasuke moved his katana away from Naruto and sheathed it. He offered his hand to Naruto and when Naruto took his hand Sasuke lifted him up. "Do you feel better now?"

"_What this? Uchiha asking someone if they are ok?"_ Kyuubi huffed in amusement. _"Where is your aloofness at?"_

"Kiss my ass stupid fox."

"_Oooh, feisty. You are going to have one hell of a time trying to mount that ass Naruto."_ With that Kyuubi gave the blushing duo some space and laid down facing away from them.

"Ok, that was disturbing." Naruto shivered.

"Aa." Sasuke agreed.

Naruto folded his arms behind his back as he turned to look at Sasuke. "Do you think everything will be ok?"

Sasuke glanced at him from the corner of his eye and replied, "Yeah, we are from the Rookie Nine. None of us have died while all others have. Plus Team Azuma is a day behind us; they should be catching up tomorrow and just stay hidden until we need them."

Naruto dropped his arms in surprise, "What? But I thought the messenger hawk said that…" Sasuke interrupted him, "Naruto we are ninja. We are supposed to hide things from the enemy. You think we are going to give out our real information just like that? Think about the role you are playing now."

With that Sasuke disappeared from Naruto's inner world. Naruto could not hide his joy at the news that they were going to have some form of back up. He began to jump and holler with all his might.

Kyuubi relaxed at the boost in Naruto's confidence. At least now he could move on without worrying for the stupid brat. By noon the next day all of Kyuubi's chakra would have fused with Naruto's and his consciousness would be no more.

_Good luck kit._

* * *

**xXxXx**

* * *

In one of the halls within Naruto's mind a child with a fox tail and feet was skipping and humming around to one of the rooms. The room that he entered was covered with drawings of all kinds. It was obvious that there were two characters who were consistently drawn. In his hands he had crayons and a piece of paper with two figures draw on it. Above the smaller figure the word _Me_ was written. On the larger figure a pink star burst surrounded it and above the burst was the word _Mom_.

* * *

**AN:**

**Next up date will take awhile because I want to make sure you can visualize the battles that are going to take place. If you wanna see any particular attack or interaction between characters don't be afraid to leave a review with your suggestion. Or a review in general, I don't bite. Right Hanzo of the Salamander? ;)**


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